Electron tube mount assembly mechanism



Oct. 18, 1960 K. C. RUPERT ELECTRON TUBE MOUNT ASSEMBLY MECHANISM FiledFeb. 25, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY I T'TORNEY K. C. RUPERTELECTRON TUBE MOUNT ASSEMBLY MECHANISM Filed Feb. 25. 1959 Oct. 18, 19605 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR zfzwz ifi 6122x762;

BY ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 K. c. RUPERT 2,956,607

ELECTRON TUBE MOUNT ASSEMBLY MECHANISM Filed Feb. 25, 1959 5Sheets-Sheet 4 47/! I II% l mm; W I

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ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 K. c. RUPERT 2,955,607

ELECTRON TUBE MOUNT ASSEMBLY MECHANISM Filed Feb. 25, 1959 5Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VENTOR ATTORNEY United States ELECTRON TUBE MOUNTASSEMBLY MECHANISM Kenneth C. Rupert, Mill Hall, Pa., assignor toSylvauia Electric Products Inc., a corporation of Massachusetts FiledFeb. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 795,456

8 Claims. (Cl. 1532) This invention relates to the manufacture of themount portion of an electron tube and in particular relates toassembling apparatus for such mount.

Some types of electron tubes employ a pair of spaced insulators, such asmica, between which are located electrodes of the tube. These electrodesmay include many elements, but for the purposes of clarification of thisinvention, a simple type of electron tube is selected for assembly ofparts, as a filamentary cathode type duodiode employing a pair of spacedhollow anodes with filamentary cathodes, one in each anode, thefilaments of the cathodes being connected in series. Such a tube may beused as a full wave rectifier.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which shallfacilitate assembly of parts of an electron tube.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a mechanismwhich shall facilitate the association of insulating supports with lugprovided elements of an electron tube mount and which shall bend theselugs against the insulating supports.

It is also an object of the invention to provide in a mount assemblydevice, a mechanism which shall in one continuous operation of themachine variously bend a multiplicity of lugs.

These and other objects will become apparent after consideration of thefollowing specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine showing parts in a normalinoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a section of the machine on the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2,showing the tools in partially shifted position, the mount being shownin dotted line, and parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 showing the final position ofparts after lug bending operations have been completed.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1 showing lug bending toolsin a retracted position.

Fig. 6 is a similar section with the same bending tools in an advancedposition.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view showing lug bending tools operating on lugsbeneath the lower spacer element.

Fig. 8 is a section through lug bending tools, a slide supporting thesame and a slide box, taken on the line 88 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a nest to seat parts of the electron tubemount.

Fig. 10 is a section on the line 1010 of Fig. 4 showing how the anodeportion of a mount is gauged into position on the machine.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 1111 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 12 is a vertical section on the broken line 1212 of Fig. 4 and Fig.13 is an exploded view of a mount prior to lug bending. 1

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, at 20 is a rectangulartable top adapted to be mounted on frame legs, not shown. At the forwardend of the table is a spacer block 22 set into a recess in the table andhaving raised end walls 24 to form a channel 26 between the walls.Mounted atop the walls and straddling the channel is a nest 28. A pairof long screws 30 pass freely from underneath the table, upwardlythrough the table and the spacer and thread into the nest to firmly bindall three parts together. The nest is provided with a pair of parallelchannels 32 formed in the upper surface thereof to allow for passagetherealong of two lug bending tool carriers 34 and 36. At the forwardend of each of the parallel channels is a vertical hole 38 through thenest to allow for debris in the channel to drop out as the tools moveforwardly in the channels. At right angles to the channels 32 andrecessed in the top face a depth equal to the thickness of the bottominsulating spacer of the mount is a cross channel 40, the same being ofa Width equal to that of the bottom spacer of the mount.

Referring to the exploded view of the mount as shown in Fig. 13, it willbe seen that the mount here illustrated as being operated upon by themachine consists of a bottom spacer 42 with parallel sides and roundedends provided at each rounded end with a slot 44 centrally of therounded end and two slots 45 and 46 parallel with slot 44 but nearer thecenter of the spacer. Also there is provided in the spacer a pair ofslots 48 parallel to each other but perpendicular to the slots 44 and46. The slots 48 are adapted to accommodate the lugs 50 of a strap 52,which lugs are to be bent over the top of the spacer, while the slots 46are adapted to receive downwardly extending lugs 54 on Webs 56 of anodes58. The tops of the anodes carry lugs 60 on the webs 56 which passthrough slots 62 in a top spacer 64 and also lugs 66 on the anodes, perse, which pass through the remaining openings 68 in the top spacer. Ithas been found sufficient for the purposes of holding a mount togetherin the assembly machine to merely bend the top lugs 60 tightly againstthe upper surface of the top spacer, to bend the lower lugs 54 tightlyagainst the bottom spacer and to bend one pair of bottom anode lugs 66,as those passing through slots 46 in the bottom spacer, loosely againstthe bottom of the spacer. The mechanism of the invention bends all thelugs which have been indicated should be bent. The purpose of the strapin the mount is to provide a series connection between filamentarycathodes which are to be inserted within the anodes, one leg of eachfilament being subsequently Welded respectively to each end of the strapwhile the otherwise free ends of the cathode filaments are connected tothe filament leads of a stem supporting the mount.

As stated heretofore, the bottom spacer 42 is placed in the channel 40and threaded over the lugs 50 on strap 52. This strap has a ribreinforced vertical web portion 70 adapted to be positioned in avertical slot 72, Figs. 9 and 11, in the nest with charnfered edges 73to facilitate insertion of the portion 70. The strap also has ahorizontal web portion 74 supporting the lugs 50, which is adapted tolie in a deeper recessed portion 76 in the nest so that the top surfaceof web 74 is at the general level of the floor of the channel 40 and sothat the spacer 42 may properly seat in the channel. Suitable slots 78may be provided at the sides of the channel 40 and recesses 80 adjacentthe recess 76 to facilitate removal of debris about these parts.

At the rear of the nest is a top tool support 82 having feet 84 and heldto the table 20 by screws 86, the support having reinforcing gussets 88.Fixed to the top portion of the wall by bolts 89 is a bearing plate 90provided with laterally spaced vertical bearing ears 92 overlying thesupport 82, each provided with a vertical pivot bearing slot 94, a pivotpin 96 being slidably and pivot ally mounted in the slots. The pin isheld down to the bottom of the slots 94 by a spring 98 wrapped aroundthe pin at one end and fastened at its other end beneath the head of abolt screwed into the support 82.

Mounted on the pivot 96 is the top lugbender 182 comprising a plate witha cam follower roller 104 held in a bifurcation at its rear end and apair of tines 106at its forward end. A spring 103 tensioned'between'therear end of tool 102 and a pin 110 screwed into the support 82 serves tohold the roller 104 against the top of a top cam 112 which will bedescribed later. At the forward end, the lug bending tool. is elevatedtopermit insertion into the nest, the parts of the mount'which willsubsequently, by operation of the described mechanism, bind themall'together. To assist in the assembly of the parts, there is mounted aguide 114 on the front wall, as by bolts 116, this guide having, seeFig. 10, a vertical front flange 118 against which the webs 56 of theanodes may be brought to hear. The lateral edges of the flange providebearing for the inside faces of the anodes.

Whenthe portions of the mount illustrated in Fig. 13 have been assembledon the nest assisted by the flange 118, thecam 112 is driven upwardmoving the lug bending tines from the normal rest position shown in Fig.1 to the position of Fig. 3. Slightly further movement causes the tines106 to engage the lugs 60 to bend them to the left in Figures 3 and 4.Were not the spring 98 and slots 94 provided, further movement of thetines would cause them to dig into the spacer, usually of mica, therebydamaging the mount. However, because of the provision of the shiftingpivot 96, the tool merely has a wiping motion across the bent lugs as itmoves toward the position of Fig. 4. The lugs are thus bent down tightlyagainst the mica or other space-r without damage thereto.

The tools and associated mechanism for bending the lugs about the lowerspacer resting in the nest will not be described.

Fastened to the table 20, as by screws 120 is a slide channel or housing122, Fig. 9, covered with a cover plate 124 held to the side Walls ofthe channel by bolts 126. Slidable within the channel is a slide 128 ofa width to fit the lateral dimension of the channel. The slide has alongitudinal central rib 130 extending upwardly to provide seats at thesides of the rib for the lug bending tool carriers 34 and 36, whosetools bend lugs extending below the lower space-r 42. These carriers areloosely pivoted on a horizontal pivot pin 132, Fig. 3, passingtransversely. through the rib 130 near the front end of the slide. Theslide 128, Figs. 5 and 6, at its rear end is provided with a bifurcation134 carrying a cam follower roller 136 on a pin held by a screw 137engaged by a second and lower cam 138, as will be described, to advancethe slide. The slide is retracted against the action of cam 138 by apair of springs 14%) tensioned between projections 142 extendingrearwardly and then upwardly from an anchor plate 143 fastened to thetop of the cover and a pair of dowels 144, these dowels passing freelythrough slots 145 in the cover plate 124 and being fixedly mounted inthe slide 128 forwardly of the pivot pin 132. These dowels also serve asvertical pivots for carriers 146 and 148 for the tools which engage thepair of lugs 50 extending above the lower spacer 42. The tool carriersrest on the central rib 130 of the slide. To pivot the carriers 146 and148, their back ends are bevelled as indicated at 150 in Figs. 5 and 6and the cover plate 124 has inserted in the underside thereof a wedgeblock 152, held to the plate by a bolt 154 passing through the coverplate and threaded into the block. To restore the tool carriers 146 and148 to their normal position when the slide is retracted, there isprovided a compression spring 156 forwardly of the pivotal dowels 144,the spring being seated in recesses of the carriers and surrounding pins160'mounted in-the recesses.

The forward ends of the carriers are formed into tools which areundercut, see Figs. 3, S and 6, so that the vertical walls 162 of theundercut when projected forward opposite the lugs 50 on the strap mayengage the same when the carriers are pivoted, in order to bend the lugsdown on top of the mica. The tools are projected through a rectangularopening 164'in wall 82 which opening has rounded corners and underneatha bridge 166 held to the nest by bolts 168, to prevent upward movementof the tools relative to the nest and spacer therewithin. Thus this toolresists upward thrust of the tools operating on lugs extending beneaththesame mica spacer. The carriers 34 and 36 for the tools beneath thespacer are pivoted so that their tool ends move upwardly just prior tothe complete projection of the slide by reason of a sharp rise 172 oneach carrier near the rear end thereof leading to a fiat or land 174.The rise on the end of each carrier engages the rear edge of alongitudinal rib 176 extending along each side of the cover plate andWithin the channel, the rise thereby causing a depression of the rearend of the carrier as the slide moves forwardu This is to cause the lugs54 which have previously been bent by a thrust action of tools borne bythe" carriers to be bent tightly and upwardly against the lower'spacer.The other lugs passing downwardly through the spacer are not so bent. Infact only two additional lugs, those passing through the slots 46 in thelower spacer, are bent, but not tightly, against the spacer.- To ensurerestoration of the carriers 34 and 36 to their original positions, asharp rise 178 is provided on each of the carriers adjacent the frontedges of the cover borne ribs 176 so that as the slide is withdrawn,'theforward ends of the carriers will be depressed.

Each carrier at its forward end has a dual tool formation indicated as180 and 182, see Fig. 7, offset from each other laterally andperpendicularly. The tools 180 are in line with the lugs 54 below thespacer and are nearer the edges of the spacer than the tools 182. Thetools 182 are adapted to engage the lugs on the anode which extendthrough the slots 46 in the spacer and are hollowed out, as indicated at183 to miss the lugs extending through the slots 45. The forward edgesof the tools engagethe lugs and bend them as the carriers 34 and '36 areadvanced. The tools 182 are below the level of the tools 180 so thatwhen the carriers 34 and 36 are pivoted about the horizontal pin 132 byengagement of the risers 172 with the rear edges of the ribs 176, thetools 180 will bend the lugs 54 tightly against the spacer, while theother lugs will be bent but slightly more than by the pushing action ofthe tools 182.

As stated heretofore, the upper tool or top lug bender 102 and the slide128 are operated by the cams 112 and 138. These cams are bolted onto avertical cam slide bar 180 riding in a pair of vertical guides 184fastened to a cam slide bar support or bracket 185 comprised of arectangular plate 186 and two truncated triangular side members 187. Thebracket 185 is bolted to the table 20 and a large opening 190 isprovided in the table for proper passage theret-hrough of the slide barwith its cams.

The cam slide bar is operated by a fluid motor 192 under operatorcontrol, the cylinder of which is provided with inlet and outletopenings, and heads 196. Tie rods 198 for tightening the heads againstthe cylinder are provided. The upper head 196 is bolted to a motormounting plate 200 in turn fastened to a pair of cylindrical spacers 202in the upper ends of each of which is bottomed a headless bolt 203 withprotruding end which can be screwed into the bottom of thetable untilthe spacer butts tightly against the bottom of the table. An aircylinder connector 204 and yoke 206 connects the bottom of theslide'with'the piston rod 206 of the motor.

In the operation of the cams on the slide, the top'lug bender. not onlyserves to bend the lugs downwardly but assists the tie strap lug bendingtools above the lower spacer in holding the mount in place while thelowermost set of bending tools is thrusting upwardly against the anodesand the bottom spacer.

What is claimed as new is:

1. An electron tube mount assembling mechanism comprising a base, ahorizontal nest mounted on said base, means in the top of said nest toposition a tie strap, said strap having a vertical web and upwardlyfacing lugs near opposite ends of the straps with the planes of the lugsparallel to each other and perpendicular to the plane of the verticalweb, other means on top of said nest to support an insulating spacerwith the lugs traversing holes in the spacer, a first support fixedlymounted on said base, guide means fixed on said first support toposition a pair of anodes with lugs at their bottoms traversing otherholes in said spacer, lugs at the tops of said anodes, a second spacermounted atop said anodes with holes in said second spacer traversed bysaid top lugs on the anodes, a lug engaging tool pivotally and slidablymounted on said first support, other bending tools slidably mounted insaid nest to engage and bend the lugs on the strap and on the lower endsof the anodes, and means to operate all of the tools.

2. In an electron tube mount assembling mechanism, means to support anassembly of a lower insulating wafer, an upper insulating wafer and ananode structure between the wafers, said anode structure having lugs atthe top edges extending through openings in the top spacer, an uprightmounted on the support, a vertically elongated pivot hearing at theupper end of the upright, a lever having a pivot intermediate its lengthpivoted in said elongated bearing, a spring tending to hold the pivotdown against the bottom of the elongated bearing, a lug bending elementat the forward end of the lever, and lever raising mechanism at the rearend of the lever, whereby the lug bending element first engages the lugsto bend the same against the top surface of the wafer and then wipesacross the lugs to firmly press them down against the wafer withoutinjury to the wafer.

3. In an electron tube mount assembling mechanism, a fixed nest having achannel adapted to support a wafer and a deeper recessed portion adaptedto support a strap, said strap having a pair of spaced upstanding lugs,said wafer threaded over the lugs and resting in the channel, and ananode structure above the wafer with lugs threaded downwardly throughthe wafer, lug bending sets of tools movable in the nest transversely ofthe strap, one set of tools engaging lugs in its path of travel andbelow the wafer to bend the lugs, another set of tools engaging the lugsabove the wafer to bend them, and means for moving the tools of thesecond set toward each other after they straddle the upstanding lugs.

4. In an electron tube mount assembling mechanism, a fixed nest adaptedto support a strap having a pair of spaced upstanding lugs, a waferthreaded over the lugs, and an anode structure above the wafer with lugsthreaded downwardly through the wafer, lug bending sets of tools movablein the nest transversely of the strap, one set of tools engaging lugs inits path of travel and below the wafer to bend the lugs, another set oftools engaging the lugs above the wafer to bend them, means for movingthe tools of the second set toward each other after they straddle theupstanding lugs, a fixed slide movable in the box toward and from thenest, said first set of tools being mounted on the slide, fixed verticalpivots on the slide, said second set of tools being pivoted on saidpivots and means on the box engageable with the rear ends of the toolsof said second set to pivot the lug bending tool ends toward each otherwhen the slide is advanced toward the nest.

5. In an electron tube mount assembling mechanism, a fixed nest adaptedto support a strap having a pair of spaced upstanding lugs, a waferthreaded over the lugs, and an anode structure above the wafer with lugsthreaded downwardly through the wafer, lug bending sets of tools movablein the nest transversely of the strap, one set of tools engaging lugs inits path of travel and below the wafer to bend the lugs, another set oftools engaging the lugs above the wafer to bend them, means for movingthe tools of the second set toward each other after they straddle theupstanding lugs, a fixed slide box, a slide movable in the box towardand from the nest, sai'd first set of tools being mounted on the slide,fixed vertical pivots on the slide, said second set of tools beingpivoted on said pivots, means on the box engageable with the rear endsof the tools of said second set to pivot the lug bending tool endstoward each other when the slide is advanced toward the nest, said slidealso mounting a' horizontal pivot with the first set of tools pivoted onthe horizontal pivot, said first set of tools having elevated portionson the top faces thereof at areas forward and rear of the horizontalpivot, said areas being engageable with the forward and rear edges ofthe box to tilt the lug engaging ends of the first set of tools awayfrom the spacer prior to advance movement of the slide toward the nest,and to tilt the same ends toward the spacer upon full movement of theslide toward the nest.

6. In an electron tube mount assembling mechanism, a fixed nest adaptedto support an insulating spacer mounting anodes, each anode having atleast two lugs threading the spacer and extending therebelow, a fixedbox, a slide movable therethrough and movable toward and from the nest,said slide having tools movable over the top of the spacer, and toolsmovable under the spacer to press against and bend the lugs up towardthe spacer, the said two lugs being misaligned laterally of thedirection of movement of the slide and the tools on the slide beingmisaligned in a like manner to engage the lugs in the movement of theslide toward the nest, the lug engaging ends of the tools on the slidebeing vertically displaced as well as laterally displaced whereby onetool will bend the lug it engages to a greater angle than the other, andmeans to elevate the lug engaging ends of the tools whereby one lug, atleast, will be bent tight against the spacer.

7. In an electron tube mount assembling mechanism, a fixed nest adaptedto support a strap with upstanding lugs and an insulating spacerthreaded over the lugs, there being an anode resting on the spacer withlugs extending downwardly through the spacer, means for bending the lugsof the strap and anode toward the spacer comprising a fixed boxincluding a cover plate, a slide through the box and movable toward andfrom the nest, a horizontal support on the slide, tools mounted on thehorizontal support of the slide which have free ends adapted to engagethe anode lugs to bend the same on advance of the slide relative to thebox, vertical pins on the slide extending up through slots in the coverplate, a pair of tools mounted on the pins within the box whose forwardends are adapted to engage and bend the strap lugs, a cam on the lowerface of the cover plate between the pin mounted pair of tools to pivotthe pair of tools about the pins when the forward ends of the tools ofthe pair straddle the strap lugs, springs reacting between the box andthe pins to retract the slide, and means to thrust the slide toward thenest against the action of the springs.

8. An electron tube mount assembling mechanism comprising a base plate,a nest mounted on said base plate adapted to support thereon an assemblycomprised of a strap, a bottom and top insulating spacer, and an anodebetween the spacers, said strap having upstanding lugs which threadthrough the bottom spacer, the anode having bottom lugs threadeddownwardly through the bottom spacer and top lugs threaded upwardlythrough the top spacer, a slide carrying tools movable toward and hornthe nest, said tools being movable above and below the bottom spacer andengageable with lugs threading the bottom spacer to bend the same, avertical top tool support fixed to the base plate, a top tool engageablewith top lugs on the anode extending upwardly through the top spacer,said tool being pivoted in a vertically elongated bearing in the toptool support, a second vertical support fixed to the base plate, a camslide vertically shiftable in the second support and through the baseplate, moto'r means supported beneath the base plate connected with;the-eam--slide to move the same, an upper cam on the slide eng'age'ablewith the rear end of the "topi tool to pivot the same and then shift'thepivot as the tool engages the top anode lugs, a second lower cam on thecam slide --to engage the rear end of the tool slide to shift the sameforwardly toward the nest, spring means tensioned by the pivoting andshifting ofthe top tool by the top cam, and other spring meanstensionedduring the shifting of the slide by the lower cam, all springmeans tending to restore parts to normal tool inoperative positions whenthe cam slide is lowered.

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